Tom Hutchinson's Wartime Diary: View pages


Notes:

30/9/43 - (Rec'd ¥2.80 for Mags.)
              - Paid Chu ¥300 plus ¥200 for.....put into his firm as loan 5%....p.W
4/10/43 - Bea paid ¥4.50 for 5 ((catties)) flour
             - Paid Gas   9.78
7th Oct. - Rickshaw   1.20 

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Notes:

9/10/43 - "P((ai))d Albert Chan Repair Radio 20.00"
12/10/43 - Tom discovers the secret to light bread made from sweet potato and yam is "beating in early stage of mixing". On "Tuesday" he "started yeast for Dr Lum", and on 14/10/43 "Thursday: Dr Lum's yeast- put in 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes". It is not clear if Dr Lum bought Tom's yeast cultures for making bread or for medical purposes.

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Notes:

Daughter Bea had moved out of the family home upon her marriage to Y.C. On 20/10/43 "Bea paid ¥3.00 for Yeast"; on 23/10/43 "Bea paid ¥32.00 for Buffalo ((a chicken)); on 25/10/43 "Bea p((ai))d ¥1.65 for Electricity, 8.35 for Marketing".
24/10/43 "Mrs Banker says "cook sh((ark)) liver as grill, with made nam-yuu, soy, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, baat-kok, with flour in a paste & grill."

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Notes:

28/10/43 ""Dr Lum paid ¥12.50 for Yeast"
29/10/43 "Started new lot of yeast for Dr Lum today"
1/11/43 "Rec'd ¥15.00 from Chu for deposit".
This was loan interest from Tom's deposit in Chu's firm, see 30/9/43.
22/11/43 "James school fees for Nov. 4.-"
See main diary page for discussion on schooling during WWII.

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Notes:

3/11/43 "Paid Chu last month's water bill 3.-"
6/11/43 "Delivered 2 qts Yeast to Dr Lum"
10/11/43 "Bottled Bean Yeast from Residue" This may refer to yeast grown on bean curd residue.
10/11/43 The remaining chicks are weighed: Bullneck, Cowboy, Fawn, Camie, and Big Wing
11/11/43 "Dr Lum paid ¥12.50 for .... (2 qts) Yeast"

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Notes:

15/11/43 "Chan pd ¥5.00 for 1 qt Yeast".

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Notes:

23/11/43 "Haircut 60¢"
29/11/43 "Paid Nov. Rent 10.-" "Repair Shoes James -.50"
1/12/43 "School fees 4-00   Toilet Soap 1-"
Dec 1/43 Rec'd ¥100-00 from Victor ((Lim?)), actually was ......+ rec'd today."
4/12/43 "Rec'd ¥15-00 Int((erest)) from Chu"

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Notes:

4/12/43 "Mrs Guest for 3¢ ((Catties)) Lard (none)"
6/12/43 "Gas Bill for Nov. 9.78"
"30 catties flour (ration) 27.-"
Was this the flour rations for Eurasians to which Harry Ching refers in his wartime diary?
10/12/43 "Blk Mkt Rice ((Black Market Rice)) 5¢ @ 11.90  5¢ @ 11.75    23.65"
Was Tom buying black market rice as Eurasians were not able to have both rice and flour rations?

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Notes:

16/12/43 Tom shops in Mongkok in the AM, and in Shamshuipo in the PM
22nd "Rice + Starch Ration"
23rd "Sold 15¢ ((catties)) flour @ 5-80 less 10¢ Stamp. Rec'd 24th ¥86.90"

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Notes:

24/12/43 - Haircut -.60
4th - School Fees 4.-

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Notes:
7/1/44 - 15 ((catties)) Ration flour 30.-
12th - Rice ration 7 1/2 ((catties))
((Suggests Eurasians could get both flour and rice on ration))
12th - bought Kerosene Heater ¥5.00
18/1/44 - ((Electricity)) Meter Reading  lower 2603  Light 2928

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Notes:

20th - 1 chatty grate 60¢  1 Cycle Pump 2.50
22nd - Elec. Bill  6.66   1 small Scrubbing Brush .40
23rd - 1 bot Yellow Label Soy 2.60
28th - 6 taels Shark Liver - Wong free

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Notes:

2/2/44 - 15 ((catties)) Ration Shai ((Shanghai?)) Flour  30.00  sold at ¥9.?0 ((9.40?)) = ¥141- ((Made ¥111 profit?))
2nd - Gas Bill 9.12
4th - Chu ret'd ¥100 + Int ¥9 ((?))
7th - 10 (catties)) Sh's Liver 4.75    4 t's ((taels)) to Wong
((Tom received 6 taels shark liver for free from Wong on 28/1/44))
8th - 2 ((catties)) Chu's Rice Ration  1.50 ((Tom buys Chu's rice ration?))

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Notes:

16th - Rent - Feb. 1944  10.-
23rd - Sh. ((shark)) liver for Wong ((Tom received shark liver for free from Wong on 28/1/44))
23rd - 4lb Hosp. Cotton  16.50
18th & 24th - ((Tom buys Chu's rice rations))

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Notes:

29th - Toilet paper 5.50 + 4.80  Small tacks 20¢   Stamp 5¢
4th - Gas - Feb.  9.78    James Hair ((cut)) 70¢
7th - 2 Hydrators  25.-
Note at bottom of page: Bot. 2 Hydrators for ¥25.00  Sold 1 to AM for ¥60.00

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Notes:

11th - Baked.....Bran muffins - 8
14th - 4 1/2 ¢ ((Catties)) B.M. ((Black Market)) Rice 4.50    20.25
          17 ¢ B.M. Rice @ 4.70    79.90
           6 bots Soy @ 3.20         19.20

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Notes:

21st - Salt - 2 1/2 ¢ ((Catties)) Ration   .60
22nd - Elec. Bill  19.92
25/3/44 - Started refining salt + evaporating in grill pan
26/3/44 - 2¢ ((Catties)) Toilet Paper   16.-
28/3/44 - Planted Peas in 2 shallow flower pots.

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This is the passport photo of "self" mentioned above on 31/3/44:

Notes:

28/3/44 - Deposit on Tires Jokee   40.-
              - Deposit May Time Passport Pictures   5.-
                ((May Time Studio, 730 Nathan Road, Kowloon))
              - Lent Chu ¥50-
30/3/44 - Chu returned ¥50-00
31st - 12 Passport Photos Self   10-00
1st April 1944 - As Girlie baking cake for Bea, I baked bread.......
                      - Elec Dept - Inspection after reducing No. of Lights to 6   ¥2.-
4/4/44 - Gas Bill  9.78  James School Fees  10.00
5/4/44 - Elec. Co. put in new power meter starting @ 000 + inspected + covered power socket in Drawing room.

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Notes:

6/4/44 - 20 Mo Chi's   5-00   1 Race Ticket  1.00
            - Balance for Jim's tires - Jok Kee   60.-
11th - Yesterday bot 5¢ Mint  planted 7 sprigs in flowerpot, today, planted 2 I. ((Irish)) Potato eyes in same pot, as soil very loose, good for potatoes.
14th - Rent for Apl (pd Chu)   10.-
        - Newspaper 14th March to 10 Apl    4.50

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Notes:

14/4/44 - Bea paid ¥53-00 for Fr....... ((a chicken?)) ie ¥55-00 less ¥2-00 for Bread
16/4/44 - Girlie - Perm Wave   20.-
17th - 8 Exercise Books for St. Marys   4.80
        - Planted some Chilli Seeds on outside of Celery Pot.
19th - Sarah + James' shoes - to mend   5.-
20th - Ferry to HK  30¢  Dropped 7.50    7.80
        - 2 Race Tickets    2.-
        - Brot. ((Brought)) Screws + Micrometers to Chu
22nd - Electricity   9.-
25/4/44 - Wong - Cotton Wool   10.-
              - Bicycle License   6.-

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